The present invention relates to a board game for play by small children and particularly relates to a progression or race-type game characterized by a three-dimensional game board with game playing surfaces at different elevations and playing pieces which, in cooperation with tubes interconnecting the playing surfaces at different elevations, provide an audible sound when disposed within the tubes.
In a great number of board games, playing pieces are advanced about the board along a predetermined path in accordance with the roll of a die or dice or the spin of a spinner which indicates the number of spaces or squares, hereafter spaces, playing pieces may advance along the playing surface. Certain of these games comprise what are known as progression or race games. In this type of game, the objective is to advance an individual's playing piece from a starting position along the predetermined path in accordance with the roll of the die or dice or spin of the spinner and to reach an end space or finish along the playing path before any other player reaches that end space. Certain of these games have playing spaces along the predetermined path which indicate that the playing piece should be set back one or more spaces. That is, when the player lands on certain spaces, the player's piece is involuntarily returned to a previous position closer to the start of the game than to the end space of the game. Those players able to avoid such spaces or minimize the number of times they land on those spaces are thus able to maintain faster forward progress to the end space of the game than those players whose pieces land on such spaces.
The present invention uses those principles and provides a board game which is three-dimensional in nature having playing surfaces at different elevations relative to one another. The three-dimensional board game of the present invention provides a predetermined path of movement for the playing pieces from one playing surface at one elevation to the next playing surface at another, preferably the next, elevation and so on, until the uppermost elevation containing the end space is obtained. Thus, a player starts his piece along the lowermost playing surface, and in accordance with the roll of the die or dice or the spin of a spinner, advances his piece along a predetermined path comprised of multiple spaces. Eventually the player advances his piece to a space on the one playing surface which indicates the piece should be advanced to the next elevated playing surface. The player then continues to advance his playing piece along the spaces of that next elevated playing surface and eventually advances the piece to the next superposed playing surface and ultimately to the end space, i.e., attains the objective of the game.
While the three-dimensional aspect of the board game is per se quite different than the two-dimensional aspect of conventional board games of this type, another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of tubes extending from one playing surface to adjacent another playing surface. More particularly, each tube has an open upper end disposed in a playing surface at one elevational and depends from that playing surface toward a lower playing surface, terminating in a lower end spaced above the lower playing surface. The lower end of each tube is provided with a releasable closure cap. It will be appreciated that the tubes may extend from a playing surface at one elevational to the playing surface at the next lower elevational or may extend through one or more playing surfaces at different elevations to terminate at a playing surface two or more playing surfaces removed from the playing surface containing the upper end of the tube. For example, where there are base, intermediate and upper level playing surfaces, a tube may extend from the upper playing surface to a location spaced above and adjacent to the intermediate playing surface. Another tube may extend from the upper playing surface through the intermediate playing surface, terminating at its lower end adjacent to and spaced above the lower playing surface. Likewise, a tube may extend from the intermediate playing surface downwardly to terminate adjacent to the base playing surface. As will be appreciated, more than three levels of playing surfaces may be employed.
The upper end of each of the tubes opens through a playing space along the predetermined path of movement of the playing pieces along that playing surface. Consequently, when a player rolls the die or spins a spinner to determine the extent to which his playing piece may be advanced, his playing piece, at least on the levels above the base playing surface, may land on a space containing the open upper end of the depending tube. If that occurs, the player places his playing piece in the tube and the tube directs the playing piece, as it descends through the tube, to a lower playing surface. Upon removal of the closure cap from the lower end of the tube, for example, by pivoting the closure cap to an open position relative to the tube, the playing piece may be removed from the tube and placed on a specified space on the lower playing surface. In this manner, the playing piece has been effectively involuntarily set back to a different level closer to the start rather than to the finish of the game. It will be appreciated that the tubes may depend vertically from the playing surfaces or be inclined to the vertical.
To afford added excitement and interest to the game, the playing pieces cooperate with the tubes, when a playing piece is inserted into the upper end of a tube, to define an air chamber within the tube. An audible sound generator is provided responsive to the passage of air through an air passageway in the generator to provide an audible signal indicating the passage of the playing piece through the tube. Thus, the playing piece itself may have a discrete air passageway containing a reed or other sound-generating device. The reed or device is therefore responsive to the passage of air from the air chamber through the passageway to generate the audible sound. Alternatively, there may be provided an air passageway adjacent the lower end of the tube in communication with the air chamber. Thus, as a playing piece descends within a tube, air from the chamber passes into the passageway and activates a sound generator located in the passageway. Consequently, any time a playing piece lands on a space having a tube opening, the playing piece is dropped into the tube, causing an audible sound as it descends through the tube for discharge adjacent its lower end.
By forming the tubes of like cross-sectional areas and the playing pieces of similar like cross-sectional areas, the playing pieces may form a substantial seal with the side walls of the tube whereby the air in the chamber below the playing piece may be forced through the passageways containing the sound generator. Consequently, any playing piece may be disposed in any tube and cause the audible sound to be emitted.
It will be appreciated that the progression of the pieces need not necessarily extend from a playing surface at one elevation to a playing surface at a higher elevation. The game may start at a higher playing surface and progress to lower playing surfaces. In a game of that type, the playing pieces landing on the spaces containing the upper ends of the tube would advantageously descend to playing spaces further advanced along the predetermined playing path, hence desirably advancing the piece at a faster rate to the end space or finish at the lower elevation. The audible sound generated would thus indicate progress toward the game's objective, rather than a setback toward that objective, as in the previously described game.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a game, comprising a game board having a plurality of game playing surfaces disposed at different elevations relative to one another and a plurality of tubes having upper and lower ends, with each tube extending from its upper end adjacent one of the playing surfaces toward a playing surface at a lower elevation thereof with the lower end of the tube terminating adjacent the playing surface at the lower elevation thereof. Also provided are means for releasably closing the lower ends of the tubes, a plurality of playing pieces for disposition on the playing surfaces and within the tubes through the open upper ends thereof, means cooperable between the playing pieces, the tubes and the closing means, upon disposition of the playing pieces into the tubes through the open upper ends thereof, defining air chambers within the tubes between the playing pieces and the lower ends of the tubes as the playing pieces descend within the tubes. Means are also provided responsive to a flow of air from each the air chamber as the playing piece descends within the tubes for emitting an audible sound, the playing pieces being removable from the tubes upon opening the closing means adjacent the lower ends of the tubes for disposition of the pieces on the playing surfaces.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a method of playing a game comprising the steps of providing a game board having a plurality of game playing surfaces disposed at different elevations relative to one another, with each surface having a plurality of playing spaces forming a predetermined path along the game board from a start to a finish, disposing a plurality of tubes extending between the playing surfaces at different elevations thereof, the tubes having upper ends opening through selected playing spaces in the playing surfaces, advancing playing pieces along the playing spaces of the predetermined path, releasably closing the lower ends of the tubes, disposing at least one of the playing pieces in the upper end of a tube for descent through the tube to a playing surface at a lower elevation thereof and generating an audible sound in response to the descent of the one playing piece through the tube by directing air in the tube ahead of the descending playing piece through a passageway having an air-responsive sound generator therein.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved three-dimensional board game of the race or progression type and method of play wherein playing pieces may be setback or advanced a predetermined number of spaces along a predetermined game path by changing their location from one playing surface elevation to another playing surface elevation, while simultaneously emitting an audible sound signal.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings.